I haven't seen a review for this on the list at the top, and had some down time so I figured I'd create a review for it.
Lowepro Magnum 200 AW Review
Category: Shoulder bag
Price (as of review): Approximately ~$180
Good bag for: Home-to-Location transport, on-the-go shooting, those desiring fast easy access to gear, a good strong robust bag that can carry a lot with little worry.
Areas of concentration of my photography: Commercial (product), motor-sport, freelance photojournalism.
I have been using the bag pictured for almost four years now. (note the Lowepro logos have been cut-off, but it is a Lowepro
)
I prefer shoulder bags as they allow access to your gear without setting the bag down to gain access. One of the biggest issues for most shoulder bags is the strap, but Lowepro has made a great strap for the Magnum series of bags, it is very robust, well-padded and I have had no shoulder issues with this bag fully loaded, carrying it all day, even hiking in the many mountain ranges in southern California. Lowepro did a great job with the main strap.
Another feature worth noting is the strong moulded-base of the bag. It is very strong and thick and I've never worried about where I set the bag down, be it dirt, sand, mud, wet grass or oily concrete. It makes stacking the bag easy, and it sits nice and flat without any wobbling or rolling-over.
In addition to the protected bottom, the main compartment-opening has a flap that fully covers the zipper (keeps rain-water and dust out), and inside the zipper is a ridge so that the zipper sits lower than the compartment, helping to further prevent any unwanted debris from inadvertently entering the bag.
Plenty of pockets and pockets inside pockets for all the common accessories.
General photo of the bag with my finger blocking some of the frame :P (iphone photos)
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I use this bag in two configurations. The first configuration is set up for two camera-bodies with lenses attached, facing down. I use two 1D series cameras with a 16-35II, and 70-200II mounted on both:
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The accessories I regularly carry (sometimes I pack more, but this is the 'always packed' setup).
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The second configuration I use this bag in is the 'everything must go' setup. In this config only one camera-body has a lens attached (usually the 16-35), while all other lenses are detached, and the second camera-body still fits. This setup allows me to include a 300mm f/4L IS lens and 580EXII flash in addition to everything else in the above photos:
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Everything out (same accessories as above are packed up, but not shown):
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I recently purchased the 400AW in hopes that I'll be able to bring along two more primes, but I plan to keep using this 200AW for the shoots and days that I don't want or need to carry everything. It has served me very well.
